Nigeria: Lula wins historic fourth term in dramatic Brazil comeback
By Zuleihat Owuiye, Nigeria
Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has won a historic fourth term in office, staging a dramatic comeback to defeat right-wing challenger Flávio Bolsonaro.
Left-wing leader Lula secured 51.79% of the votes in Sunday’s run-off, becoming the first president since Brazil’s return to civilian rule in 1985 to win after losing the first round.
Addressing jubilant supporters in São Paulo, Lula said his victory was a “loss for negativity, lies,” adding “long live democracy.”
“This, my fourth term, will be the best of any president in the history of this country,” the 80-year-old former metalworker said. “It will be the one in which I listen most to the Brazilian people.”
Vice-President Geraldo Alckmin told him: “You, for the second time, have saved Brazilian democracy.”
The result was a major surprise. Flávio Bolsonaro, son of jailed former president Jair Bolsonaro, had won the first round on October 4 with 47% to Lula’s 45% and was poised to give a victory speech. He has refused to recognize the result and called for it to be annulled, calling the outcome “inexplicable.”
Bolsonaro’s rejection was not unexpected. His father also refused to accept defeat in 2022.
However, analysts say a challenge appears unlikely to succeed. The objection centers on an unprecedented decision by Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin to extend voting nationwide by two hours.
Some Bolsonaro supporters pointed out that Zanin was once Lula’s lawyer, alleging bias. But both campaigns had requested an extension — Lula’s team argued voters in São Paulo and Bahia could not reach polling stations due to a lack of buses, while Bolsonaro’s team cited heavy rain in southern states and São Paulo.
The president of the Supreme Electoral Court, Kássio Nunes Marques — who was appointed by Jair Bolsonaro — confirmed Lula’s victory and said the extension did not change the outcome.
Lula’s campaign gained momentum in the final weeks by focusing on boosting turnout after 33 million people did not vote in round one. Sunday saw the largest drop in abstention between two rounds of a presidential election since 1989
Lula, who turns 81 on Tuesday, is already the first Brazilian to be elected four times, having served two terms from 2003 to 2010 and a third term from 2023. His new term will run until 2030 and begins on January 5.
But he now faces major hurdles: a deeply divided country, an opponent who refuses to accept the result, and a Congress packed with Bolsonaro allies.
Markets reacted negatively to the surprise result. The São Paulo stock exchange opened 15% down, triggering a brief suspension before recovering slightly, as investors scrutinized Lula’s fiscal plans.
International reaction was divided. US President Donald Trump suggested the election had been “rigged.”
“I didn’t take sides, but it looked like another rigged election,” he told reporters on Monday, without providing evidence.
Other world leaders across the spectrum congratulated Lula. Mexico’s left-wing President Claudia Sheinbaum said “The people of Brazil won.” Peru’s right-wing President Keiko Fujimori praised Brazil’s “democratic day.”
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the two countries had “flourished under our partnership,” while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said “democracy and multilateralism” had won. French President Emmanuel Macron said the two nations should work “in service of a more just world,” and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called it a victory for the “global south and progressive forces.”
Lula used his victory speech to push back against US influence, referring to what Trump has called the “Donroe Doctrine” seeking US dominance in the Western Hemisphere.
The race also bucks a wider trend in Latin America, where voters in Argentina, Chile and Colombia have recently shifted to the right.
Trump has previously backed the Bolsonaro family. Jair Bolsonaro is currently serving a 27-year prison sentence after being convicted of a coup attempt following his loss to Lula in 2022. Flávio Bolsonaro met Trump at the White House earlier this year to seek his support.
